Bcsbuddy- I am on a roll now and will order the book you recommended as I am now a believer in diet alteration, something I resisted for years. Like many I have proven to myself my diet has aggravated my health issues. In middle age I developed Allergic Contact Dermatitis, ACD, in which I must avoid many everyday chemicals even natural elements for the rest of my life. Now its a fact based on my recent diet, that my diet had been aggravating my internal symptoms: chronic yeast, mild ankle swelling and internal itching or stinging inside my skin layers with no rash, even with all ACD contacts avoided, plus in the last two years developed 2 new rarer forms of eczema. I also had Adult Leukemia, CLL, an autoimmune disease for 15 years without treatment yet as I was a smolderer, but surprisingly to all including my doctors, a miracle happened and 5 years ago my blood counts started reversing and today 20 years after diagnosis all aspects of blood normal, even both lymphocyte counts. Very rare for this to happen with this chronic disease.

Grateful of course I am not dead today from leukemia but my other autoimmune issues have been challenging.

Yes, I had cut out the gluten a year ago and noticed no improvement, yet my sister did and the improvement was dramatic for her colitis and massive ankle swelling. Today she can tolerate adding back minimal gluten and no ankle swelling.

I made up my mind to do what I had been dreading, a true anti-yeast, anti-inflammatory diet which was reported to help with eczema also. I gave up all processed sugar and also all fruit. I gave up all carbs, not just gluten in wheat, all carbs meaning no corn, oats, rice. Zero processed foods. No cheese, unless fresh as it doesn't contain fermentation. No nuts that can contain mold, like peanuts. Yet lots of food choices- tons of veggies. Walnuts ok. Eggs. Pro-biotic yogurt, kefir allowed but no other dairy. All healthy oils allowed, even butter. Lots of good unprocessed meat, fish or poultry. Stevia- the only sweetener allowed which I used in my plain protiotic yogurt. Yet the final thing to do is give up Stevia because until I do that my tastebuds will still expect something sweet, even if it is not feeding the residual yeast in my intestines.

Dr. William Crook, in his book The Yeast Connection Handbook, originally written in the mid 90's which many doctors scoffed at, but now medical research is proving correct about his theory of a gut/brain relationship. His basic premise is that the medical field simply wants to market prescription anti-yeast drugs, steroids and such and not solve the problem, simply treating it and thus it will be chronic. We must always go back for more treatment. My volume updated in 2006 with postscript listing proven natural yeast killer supplements that work as well as as prescriptions.If interested I will give you the names. He wrote up a 2 month plan to lower inflammation by starving out the yeast in our intestines because it was sending messages to our brain to give it the food it needed- sugar!!!!

As foretold, the first 3 weeks were a challenge, as I was in the habit of a nightly dish of ice cream or grabbing a piece of fruit, cookie or other sugar snack during the day. I quit alcohol 3 years ago and this addiction was harder to give up because I thought about sugar all day. Whereas with alcohol a bell went off in my head at 5:00 pm for my drinking to start, but during the day never gave alcohol a thought. Dr. Crook wrote that the sugar urge would slowly go away. By week 5 I noticed I wasn't thinking about sugar much, because the yeast in my intestines was starving and dying, it was no longer sending messages to my brain demanding a sugar fix. At that time several yeast issues were lessening and one yeast symptom was gone for the first time in years. Also the internal stinging inside my skin (an eczema issue) was mildly starting up again faded. Because of this internal inflammation I required an annual corticosteroid shot of Kenalog 40, due Dec 1. (We all know the dangers of steroid use, both internal and external treatments). Now after the full 8 weeks no yeast issues. No cravings. I can now slowing reintroduce good carbs and limited fruit consumption. Still no processed sugar for life, but today looking at sugar does not make my mouth water and holds no interest. I have lost about 8 pounds and need to stop the loss, as I am not overweight, but adding back good carbs should take care of that.

Today I am a believer, dealing with zero yeast issues and my inflammation levels clearly lowered. Yes the diet was a challenge for about a month, if I could have popped a pill to curb my sugar cravings I would have tried that first. Yet so grateful I stuck it out. If you are not suffering you will not be motivated to try a detox diet. . Avoiding pain is a real motivator for me.What makes it hard is not knowing if the sacrifices you are making will make any difference. I would think little jingles in my head, "When will you learn, it's gonna make you burn." as well as others when I wanted to eat something sweet. Also hard as I always have to look at sweets as my 50 lb overweight diabetic husband insists on a house stocked with homemade dessert, ice cream and candy. If you could purge your house house of these visual reminders of sugar it would help.

Now I will order the Nakazawa book mentioned by Bcsbuddy to keep learning. I am super excited!!!